It’s estimated nearly 44 million Americans are family caregivers, which means they provide unpaid care to a family member, friend or neighbor. That adds up to 37 billion hours of care each year.

While caring for a loved one can be a meaningful and rewarding experience, it also can be an emotionally and physically demanding job.

Chances are someone in your life has been, or will be, affected by heart disease. It’s the number one cause of death in the U.S., taking more than 610,000 lives every year. Since February is Heart Month, take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the disease and actions you can take to help prevent it.  

In the U.S., millions of injured, ill and disabled veterans depend on friends and family for care. In fact, according to the RAND Corporation, there are 5.5 million unpaid military caregivers in the United States.

Of that group, nearly 20 percent are caring for someone who served after 9/11. This new era of caregivers is facing unique challenges.

Most seniors want to age in place. According to AARP, 90 percent of those 65 and over want to stay in their home for as long as possible and 80 percent think their current residence is where they will always be.

However, to stay at home, older adults often require assistance with everyday activities from bathing and going to the bathroom, to running errands and preparing meals. Family and friends can often chip in, but sometimes they are not available, they live far away or it is more than they can juggle. That’s where home care comes in. 

Case managers play a critical role in the health care system, but many do not know they exist. Case managers help individuals and their families understand a person’s illness or injury and then work with them and other health care professionals to develop a treatment plan.

Did you know nearly one in five Medicare beneficiaries – approximately 2.6 million seniors – who are discharged from the hospital are readmitted within 30 days? These unplanned readmissions are not only costly (an estimated $26 billion every year in the U.S.), but harmful for patients. Who wants to get out of the hospital and get worse instead of better?  Yet, research shows up to 75 percent of hospital readmissions may be preventable. 

Every Saturday morning we have our routine. After feeding my two-year-old her second breakfast of the day, I patiently wait for the clock to strike 9 a.m. It’s now time to Facetime, aka video chat.

Vitamin D is best known for keeping bones strong and healthy. It helps the body absorb calcium, which helps prevents rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Muscles need vitamin D to move, and the immune system needs the nutrient to fight off bacteria and viruses.

There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There’s no place like home. You can probably envision that classic scene from the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy closes her eyes, clicks her heels together and repeats the line until she’s wakes up in her bed at her farmhouse in Kansas with Auntie Em by her side. She’s relieved to be back at home – a familiar, comfortable place close to family and friends.